Several years passed, with Zelda remaining the same because of the curse. Link, who had become sixteen, learned of this tragedy and sets off on a journey to reclaim the lost section of the Triforce to lift the curse. Once Link gains the full Triforce, he goes back to the palace where Zelda resides in and disperses the curse. Now free from the curse, Zelda thanks Link and calls him a "real hero" for saving Hyrule. The curtains then fall as Link and Zelda appear to embrace each other.

Producer Hideki Konno wanted to include certain online features for Mario Kart DS, but they were left out due to time constraints. These features would, however, be implemented in Mario Kart Wii. The developers wanted to avoid races becoming more deserted as they progressed, thus altering the online matchmaking to allow players to join a race once it is finished for participation in the next one.[13] The game was the first in the series to feature BMX motorbikes as drivable vehicles, an idea which Konno had proposed since Double Dash out of his own passion for extreme sports but was rejected due to the seemingly bizarre image of Mario riding a bike.[14] The concept of extreme sports elements was considered in Mario Kart DS, but due to the difficulty in including the concept in a handheld game, it wasn’t able to be implemented until Wii. Because of the feature’s inclusion, the game was briefly known internally under the name "Mario Kart X" before its final name was decided upon, referring to the "X" in the word "extreme".[citation needed] The designers tested roughly 30 different prototypes with different shapes, colors and weights based on real-life go-karts. The final design for the wheel was made to be as lightweight as possible in order for it to suit long-term periods of gameplay, and it was made entirely white despite experimentation with two-colored designs in order for it to fit with the color scheme of previous peripherals such as the Wii Zapper and the Wii Balance Board. A blue ring with the Wii logo inside of it was also placed on the backside of the wheel to give spectating players something interesting to look at; as a result, this blue ring ended up being featured in the game’s logo.[15]
Stories in the series frequently emphasize the internal struggles, passions, and tragedies of the characters, and the main plot often recedes into the background as the focus shifts to their personal lives.[23][75] Games also explore relationships between characters, ranging from love to rivalry.[3] Other recurring situations that drive the plot include amnesia, a hero corrupted by an evil force, mistaken identity, and self-sacrifice.[3][76][77] Magical orbs and crystals are recurring in-game items that are frequently connected to the themes of the games' plots.[74] Crystals often play a central role in the creation of the world, and a majority of the Final Fantasy games link crystals and orbs to the planet's life force. As such, control over these crystals drives the main conflict.[74][78] The classical elements are also a recurring theme in the series related to the heroes, villains, and items.[74] Other common plot and setting themes include the Gaia hypothesis, an apocalypse, and conflicts between advanced technology and nature.[74][76][79]
Though all incarnations of Mega Man feature unique stories, settings, and characters, they share several common features. All main Mega Man games released prior to 1997 are side-scrolling action platformers. The player character must fight through the levels using Mega Man's "Mega Buster"—a cannon attached to his arm—to shoot the robotic enemies inhabiting his environment. When Mega Man was released in 1987, the characteristic that made it revolutionary was the choice given to the player of which robot master to attempt first. After defeating a Robot Master—the boss of a level—Mega Man gains the ability to use that Robot Master's special weapon. Each Robot Master is representative of a specific element or object, with such bosses as Fire Man, Ice Man, Guts, Griffith, and Elec Man. The weapons Mega Man gains share the theme of the defeated boss. After defeating all of the Robot Masters, Mega Man travels to a multi-stage fortress to confront Dr. Wily, the person responsible for the robotic enemies' destructive acts. In the fortress, Mega Man fights past new bosses, clones of the game's Robot Masters, and Wily, who is usually in a large multi-phase war machine.
The Legend of Zelda, the first game of the series, was first released in Japan on February 21, 1986, on the Famicom Disk System.[56] A cartridge version, using battery-backed memory, was released in the United States on August 22, 1987, and Europe on November 27, 1987. The game features a "Second Quest," accessible either upon completing the game, or by registering one's name as "ZELDA" when starting a new quest. The Second Quest features different dungeons and item placement, and more difficult enemies.[57]

Biggs and Wedge, inspired by two Star Wars characters of the same name, appear in numerous games as minor characters, sometimes as comic relief.[23][73] The later games in the series feature several males with effeminate characteristics.[80][81] Recurring creatures include Chocobos and Moogles.[23] Chocobos are large, often flightless birds that appear in several installments as a means of long-distance travel for characters. Moogles, on the other hand, are white, stout creatures resembling teddy bears with wings and a single antenna. They serve different capacities in games including mail delivery, weaponsmiths, party members, and saving the game. Chocobo and Moogle appearances are often accompanied by specific musical themes that have been arranged differently for separate games.[3][23][73]